This invention relates to traffic barricades. It relates particularly to molded plastic traffic barricades.
Traffic barricades are commonly used to warn vehicular and pedestrian traffic of danger, and block off restricted areas. Barricades made of molded plastic have now been known for some time. Examples are found in the Stehle, et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,880,406 and 3,950,873, the Glass U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,298,186 and 4,624,210. Barricades illustrated in these patents include barricades made with two panel units hinged together so that they can be spread apart for use and collapsed for storage or transport. The individual panel units are one piece, integral, hollow plastic panels, formed by rotational or blow molding. The lower hollow sections may contain ballast.
These and other plastic traffic barricades have proven to be a great improvement over conventional steel and wood barricades. They are rugged, yet cause less damage to vehicles if inadvertently struck. Through the use of ballast in the units, the center of gravity of the barricade is lower than either wood or metal barricades. The result is a barricade less susceptible to being blown over by wind. Other features typically incorporated in such barricades are bright colored reflective horizontal panels, flashing lights or signs, and a structural member near the bottom where a sand bag can be placed if additional ballast is required.
Problems linger with many plastic barricades on the market today, however. Internally ballasted plastic barricades have proven to be marginally acceptable on high speed highways because they are not heavy enough to remain in place when buffeted by vehicle induced drafts. All to frequently, on the other hand, externally ballasted barricades deform under the weight of sandbags. When barricade assemblies are struck by a moving vehicle, for example, their structural integrity also leaves something to be desired. When components are damaged, they cannot be readily cannibalized for use in other barricade assemblies. Many of them are not sufficiently compact to permit stacking large quantities of assembled barricades together for transport.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved plastic barricade assembly.
Another object is to provide a plastic traffic barricade assembly which has a high degree of structural integrity.
Yet another object is to provide a plastic traffic barricade assembly which can be easily cannibalized for parts if it is damaged in use.
Still another object is to provide a plastic traffic barricade assembly which, although employing ruggedly substantial leg components, collapses into a narrow profile for storage and shipping.
A further object is to provide a plastic traffic barricade assembly comprising separately blow molded leg and panel members fastened together in interlocking relationship.
Yet a further object is to provide a plastic traffic barricade assembly wherein said separately molded leg and panel members are rigidly interconnected after molding to form two substantially identical leg and panel units which are then pivotally connected.
Still a further object is to provide a new and improved method of constructing a plastic traffic barricade assembly.
The foregoing and other objects are realized in accord with the present invention by providing a barricade assembly comprising separate leg and panel members blow-molded of high molecular weight polyethylene plastic. Two identical leg and panel units are assembled, each from first and second different leg members and a plurality of panel members. The first leg members of each unit are identical to each other. The second leg members of each unit are, in turn, identical to each other.
The leg members are all molded with body sections which have I-beam shaped cross-sections, including opposed inner and outer flanges interconnected by a web. This configuration permits the leg members to be quite narrow, i.e., the flanges are one-and-one-half (1xc2xdxe2x80x3) inch wide in a conventional size barricade.
The outer flange on each leg member in a leg and panel unit has a flat outer surface and several elongated depressions formed therein, each for receipt of a panel. The inner flange on each leg member has a flat inner surface.
Each panel has a one-and-one-half inch (1xc2xdxe2x80x3) wide channel formed in its back face for mating, in interlocking fashion, with a leg member depression. The panel members are bolted to each of first and second leg members in this relationship to form a leg and panel unit.
Two leg and panel units are then mated with each other, panel members facing outwardly, by interconnecting bearing elements and bearing bores molded unitarily into the head sections of first and second leg members, respectively. The bearing element and bore of corresponding pairs of head sections contain cam action limit stops which then limit spreading of the leg and panel units to a degree desirable for use. The head section of each of the first leg elements also has an ear formed in it which is adapted to engage the upper edge of a panel member on the opposite leg and panel unit to provide a second limit stop for unit opening.
The leg and panel units are bolted together on common axes which are offset from the centerlines of corresponding leg members by a distance corresponding to the panel members"" thickness. This permits the leg and panel units to nest flat against each other with the back face of each panel flush against the flat inner surface of the inner flange in each leg member when the barricade assembly is collapsed for storage or use.